Is the RV the Best Way to Travel If You Have Ulcerative Colitis?

One of the major problems with having ulcerative colitis has to do with knowing where potentially crucial restrooms are located. It would seem that having a recreational vehicle (RV) or "motor home" at your disposal would ease the problems associated with unscheduled restroom needs since an RV has a restroom on board.

Yes, it is more convenient to have a restroom available to you when you travel especially when you have ulcerative colitis. But the question isn't whether or not an RV is the most convenient way to travel; "Is an RV the best way to travel?" is what we are asking ourselves and, I'm not so sure that it is.

I have brought up my best friend in another article. He currently has a "fold-down" trailer-camper which we use when we go on camping trips. Prior to owning this, however, he had an RV. It was very comfortable and I had a restroom at my disposal which was beneficial for my ulcerative colitis condition; still, there were some issues with the RV that I did not find so exciting when we traveled.

When you travel in an RV and arrive at your destination, you have no convenient transportation available to you unless you tow a car along. This can be a pain.

Perhaps one of the major disadvantages with using an RV to travel was the cost of fuel. The RV did not get good gas mileage not only due to size, but, it was more resistant to wind and in addition to fuel consumption, I found the handling of the RV somewhat difficult during windy days.

When we chose to travel with the RV, it took longer. It is hard to go much over 50 mph as an average and it cuts into your available vacation time. It also makes the trip more boring. The convenience of the on board restroom becomes offset by the disadvantage of less speed available if I have a major flare. Having an RV does not change the fact the person with ulcerative colitis has to know where medical help is at all times.

The largest negative issue I had with using the RV to travel, even in an effort to minimize my ulcerative colitis condition, was the necessity of purging the commode at the end of the trip; it was not a fun chore.

In all fairness, the RV did offer comfort features such as chairs and tables, very comfortable beds, stove and refrigerator as well as heating and air conditioning. Also, a television was available.

For me, moving so slow and the fact that the fuel was so costly eliminated the use of the RV for travel, even though I had ulcerative colitis. I'm sure my feelings had a lot to do with the fact that there were only two of us. A person with ulcerative colitis who is traveling with a family may find the RV very helpful.

Is an RV the best way to ravel if you have ulcerative colitis? For me it is not. It is too slow and expensive and it diminishes my enjoyment when I am at my destination. But, as with so many issues relating to ulcerative colitis, travel is a personal issue and the comfort, entertainment and assurance provided by an RV for another person, may be just the answer they need.